Process of making metals in electric furnaces.



E. HUMBERT.

PROCESS OF MAKING METALS IN ELECTRIC FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26| 19H.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

3% a 1x NU .N s 2 1g :2 J l 1 i z N g 5 z A VM, /4 1 m A ITO/ME K ERNEST HUMBERT, 0F WELLAND,

ONTARIO, CANADA.

PROCESS OF MAKING METALS IN ELECTRIQ FURNACES.

Application filed April 26, 1917.

To all I /1.001.525 may concern:

Be it known that I, lhrxns'r IIUMBERT, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing in \Velland, Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Metals in Electric Furnaces, of which the following is a specifieatioii.

My invention aims to provide a process of producing a metal containing a certain per- -entage of carbon in the electric furnace. The invention may be applied, for example, to making iron or steel of varying pereentages of carbon, phosphorus and other ingredients. As specifically described hereinafter, it provides a process by which steel of practically any desired quality and composition can be made in the electric furnace from pig iron or castiron (these two being included in theterm cast iron as used hereinafter) or steel scrap, oi any combi; nation of these; or in fact from any of the raw materials generally used f r making steel; the cost of my improved process being extraordinarily low and the process having other advantages and characteristics referred to in detail hereinafter; the invention being more exactly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

The raw materials generally used for making steel are cast iron and steel scrap. All cast iron is sometimes used, or ail steel scrap, or more frequently a mixture of the two in varying proportions. depending on the character of the available supply. 1 1 7 Cast iron generally contains arou'nd3.50 per cent. of carbon and 1.50 percent. of silicon, whereas steel contains generally less than l'pcr cent. of carbon: accordingly an oxidizing ingredient is .added to the charge of cast ironto. remove the excess of carbon and 81110011. Iron ore or other 1ron end has been used asthe oxidizing material.

This pig and ore method has not been found commercially practicable for making steel in electric furnaces. v

If the iron ore is added when the'cast iron is molten, a violent boilresults. The. iron ore must be added in smallquanti-ties" at a time in order to-prevent-the metal'from running .out through the door of the furnace. If the furnace is of the electrode type (as for. example the Heroult furnace) there will be a considerablewearing of the elec trodes caused by the slag, whicli is alinostf pure molten iron oxid, boiling around the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8,1918.

Serial No. 164,793.

Also

electrodes and washing against them.

cause complete freezing of the batliand the reactions will cease, as the addition of cold iron ore lowers the temperature of the charge, and also the lower percentage of carbon in the charge raises the melting point thereof. The same troubles arise if-the iron ore is charged with the cast iron in the cold state. A violent boil is created when the charge becomes liquid, which necessitates the stoppage Of the electric current and the raising of the electrodes out of the bath to prevent them from being oxidized and worn out by the 'ashing of the slag against them. Also the foaming of the slag to the roof and the boiling on the banks of the furnace cause an abnormal wearing of the roof and lining. Therefore, it appears that the adding of iron ore to a charge of cast iron, either when the iron is in a liquid state or when it is in a solidistate, is a slow and expensiveother oxidizer has been used. as for a. charge of cast iron. and the difliculties have been of the same kind. though not to so great an extent. Or, if the carbon content of the char'geis less than that in the steel to be producedcarbon mustbe added and this has to be done bytlie addition of coke or the like in excess of the quantity theoretically required and ore or similar oxidizer to reduce the carbon content to that desired; so that again we meet with diliicultics of the same sort. r

1A d ditional diiliculties are presented When it is desired to make steel of low carbon content, and it hasbeen found nearly impossi ble, in the commercial sense, to secure such a'product in the electric furnace. This is because it is necessary to carry on the metal *a s'laghigh in iron oxide to oxidize the carbon' .When it is present only inismall percentage, forexample 0.30 per cent. or below; and because at the temperature which is necessary to oxidize this carbon, the iron oxid from the slag goes into solution in the steel; and because to obtain a low carbon steel properly deoxidized it is necessary to make additions of ferro-silicon or other strong deoxidizer.

Having experienced for years the above mentioned difiiculties, I have devised a proc ess to overcome them. at the same time improving the quality of the steel and reducing the cost of its production.

According to the present invention I supply the necessary oxygen, either wholly or to a large extent, by introducin air or equivalent oxidizing fluid, which eliminates carbon to the deslred extent. Preferably the air, cold or preheated, is blown through the solid material only of the charge; but for extracting small quantities of carbon (as for example, near the end of an operation when it is found that the liquid charge contains carbon slightly in excess of that desired) the air may be applied to the molten material.

Referring to a particular process in which the invention is used, the chargeis introduced in solid condition and brought to an incandescent temperature either by reason of the heat remaining in the' furnace from the previous charge, or bynieans of. the elec-' tric current. The current bein continued vso as to maintain a supply'offeahair is" blown into the solid incandescent material of the charge. As the melting commences the bottom, with the solid material above it.

he blowing in of airis then usual in the electric furnaceto the desired product, with additions of ferro-silicon, nickel, chromium or other ingredients, where alloy steelis to. be made. The oxygenof the air oxidizes the carbon, silicon and phosphorus present in the charge, producing a.

. great rise of temperature, as it is known'that one; kilogram (2.2 lbs.) of carbon oxidized to CO produces 8100 calories, one kilogram of silicon to SiO produces 7830 calories, and one, kilogram of phosphorus to P 0 produces 5965 calories. With a charge of a given com osit'ion it is easy to calculate the amount 0 heat that will be generated by the oxidizing of carbon, silicon and phosphorus, and consequently the amount of electric current saved.

As an example: I work, as follows with asix ton Heroult furnace, aiming at .a steel containing 0.45 per cent. carbon and using scrap containing around 0.40 per cent. carbon and a certain quantity. of cast iron boring's amounting to about 20 per cent. of the charge. About 400 pounds of lime is mixed with the scrap to take care of the prod nets of oxidation of the silicon and phosphorus. After the furnace is emptied and customary repairs made the electrodes are raised as high as possible and the scrap, cast iron and lime are charged in, taking care to have the furnace filled as much as possible. The electrodes are lowered and the current started. .It takes about half an hour to charge the furnace and at the end of the charging part of the scrap is red hot from the heat ot'thc furnace which makes it possible to start blowing the air as soon asthe current is started. I have a rubber hose connected on an air line from an air compressor. At the end of this hose I have a one inchsteel pipe approximately ten feet long; I place it through the scrap about three feet inside the furnace through one of the doors. At the beginning of the blowing the steel pipe is inclined slightly downward but during the melting operation the pipe is placed in the horizontal position so as not to come in contact with the liquid bath. As soon as the charge is completely melted the air is shut off and the pipe removed .from the furnace. For the example given. there will be needed about 38750 liters of air, per ton of charge." 'Knowin'gthe volume of air blown 'intoythefurnace per minute we can calculate order to secure steel of the desired compost tion. and proceeds a molten. bath] is collectedat-i j Comparing. my process with prior processes to makethe same steel in the electric furnace from the same charge, the charge wasmelted with my process in two-thirds of the time required for the old process. Again when the charge is melted by my process the temperature of the bath is sufiicient to allow .blowi'ngioperation should be carried on in theinnnediate pouring of the heat; whereas 1 has been melted by my proces's a testlp'ie'ce. taken immediately thereafter will,"forge in der the hammer without showing "the crack which would be indicative :off thep" no of oxid in the metal. J.

It is not necessary to use air u'nder pressure. An ordinary blower will" been. cient, the quantity of air required depending on the quantity of the elements in the'charge which are to be oxidized.

With my process there is no substantial wear on the furnace, because the charge is tapped a few minutes after it becomes molten; say fifteen to thirty minutes depending on the degree of subsequent refinement; or on the extent of the additions required, the charge being maintained molten during this time by continuing the electric current. The process presents no difiicult departure from with-the old process the molten metal is. Y

- comparatively cold so that itis evelrdifiicult to. take a. test because of the freezi-ngof the steel in the 'test spoon. where theiinetaljfi ordinary practice in charging, op erating and emptying the furnace. A melter familiar with the ordinary practice can use my process successfully and easily at once.

Compared with the old method on a charge consisting entirely or chiefly of cast iron, my process saves per cent. of the time required. When the charge is all or chiefly scrap steel my process saves about 30 per cent. of the time required.

'ith the ore previously used as an oxidizer. it was diflicult to calculate the exactv quantity necessary. This can be done much more reliably with air, the oxygen content of which is known accurately and the volume of which can be measured closely. "hen the air. is blown on the incandescent solid metal of the charge the carbon monoxid formed at the point where the air strikes the metal is converted immediately into 'arbon dioxid by burning at the mouth of the nozzle with a white flame which heats the charge throughout, the products of combustion escaping through the door through which the nozzle is inserted. This is the simplest methodof using the process,

but of course the furnace may be especially.-

equipped with nozzles or ports; for the admission of air and wlth-passages or the. escape of the products OfCOIDl'JllStlOn. The

heat adjacent to the mouth of the nozzle melts away the thetalso as to clear a space and make it easy to'manipulate thenozzle so as to raise its mouth as tlielevel ofthemolten portion rises so as to maintain:the blow-tn'g'on the solid portion of the charge.-

fNot' only is ther'e a saving of .current and ndiaingl on with a smaller:amperagethan required in previous -]')roce sses acons1derably less 'wear' in a ry-en ;ti1n

eleetrodesby reason'of the saving of-tirii involved, but. the operat on. may be; a

e" on the rtnf atitliliningfof.

o steel of fbe tteryzqnalijt;

'rbon; silicon and I phosp 7 before thefii.

idatio fag main meaz 1; r y \Vhe;n 'low' o rbonscrap stecl'is used ex- .-sueh an extent that fearbonaceousmaterials have to bc added; such materials may be coke, coal, oil or the like,

and the oxidation of these by the air blown .l tnvrr end. of the electrode.f 'lln. u n

f iron oiticlsfi .he slag, isisosni-alll,

10H inythe metal. A state. of. 1n this; respect. between {the ndtlie slag is found when the slag [about'liil per cent. F00; and. my produce ;less than thispercentage.- 1 makil g l)w carbon steels there is v "of thje metal sincei there m'oroadded nor; a strt'ingly fo 1 of considerable variation without departure from the invention. It is not essential, for example, that all the oxidizing be done with air. portion of the oxidizer may be in the form of ore or equivalent solid oXid in special cases. Instead of commencing the air injection while the entire mass is solid, we can start with a charge which is partly molten and partly solid; or. the initial charge being entirely solid, we can wait until it is partly melted before. applying the air. And though, as a rule. the best results are obtained by blowing the air only into the solid charge. the air may be blown onto or through the liquid charge when the latter is of such a low carbon content. or has been reduced to such a low carbon content, that as from the electric hcatwhieh is supplied to the new charge. Any type of electric:

furnace can be used-but. I prefer an arc fur nace and especially one of the I-leroult type,

in which electrodes depend through the roof, strtkgng arcs between thelr lower ends and the charge. with an automatic regulating ntet lnlnisln which hgwers the electrodes as the are lengthens bythe; settling down of"v 1,

the charge or bythel burning away of the en in F gur 2 Vth'o'se in wh'icltone'or more a between the electrode: 1d the arge.

gramme-tic Qvievvs sections through F'igsil {anjlzfi of' the-accompany ng; drawa re: more or: less 1' fat/ right angles -sli( )w an electric are furnace showing a.mode

of carrying out theqproc'ess. The fur-5 naee has a hearth-Aysides B'and roof C1. through which passes the-electrode D- (oneor more) extending down approximately to the top of.the-cliargejso j-as' to? strike the are.

A doorway E is opened andaf nozzle co sisting of a long piped", say about-ten feet I long, is thrust into the lower part of the l'niaterial of the charge to oxidize the same 7 before melting, and continuing such operaf charge, the nozzle receiving air from a flexible pipe or hose connected to a blower. The charge is built up as indicated of scrap G and cast iron borings H and in the lower portion there forms a bath J of molten metal. The solid portion of the charge is gradually melted and the nozzle F elevated as previously described until the entire charge is molten. The nozzle F is then withdrawn, the doors shut, and the refining operation proceeded with as described, after which the finished product is tapped or poured.

'hat I claim is 1. 1n the making of steel in an electric furnace. introducing the charge in solid condition, applying heat by the electric current and introducing air into the solid material of the charge to oxidize the same before melting. continuing such operation upon the solid portion of the charge until it is all melted, and refining the molten charge to the desired product.

2. In the making of steel in an electric furnace, from a charge consisting chiefly ofcast iron, introducing the'charg'e i1 solid condition, applying heat. by the elect-ri curnt;andintroducing air into the solid mat of thechargc to oxidize the same bere nel'ting; and continuing such opera tis all lmelte'd. a

n" the lnaking of steel in an -.eleetrio part solid, introducing air into the solid tion upon thesolid portion of the charge until it is all melted.

4. In the making of steel in an electric co ies 'of this par nt may he obtained-forv'e i as jonjthesolid fportion of the chargef furnace from a clnirge whichis at least in we ts ran, by addressing the alonei-g i r it V (i. In the producing of a metal containing a certain percentage of-carbon, the method which comprises introducing into an "arc furnace "a; bstantially complete 1 charge \vhichicontain's an. excessof carbon and which is at least impart-solid, applying heat by the electric current and introducing a current ofair alone into the solid material of the charge to combine-with the excess .1 carbonyl '7; Inth'e producing of a metal containing 'a certain percentage of carbon, the method ,W-hic inprises' introducing into an arc substantially complete charge nitains fan excess; of; carl'ion and t- 1 least in part'solid, striking an electrodetto the" solid material e and rintrodue'in g a current of into thefs'olidi material of the inb" e, with the excess-0f carbon. ss jwliereof, I have hereunto signed myfna'me. p

. ERNEST HUHIBERT.

arc -rfrom of the Commissioner .of Patents, gtongDJU.

I he. coin' bin ed heatgof combustion and electric; urrentjand then cutting offthe; air supply and finishing with the current 

